Nov. 15 Daily News editorial

The Kelso School District is preparing to dramatically expand course opportunities for its secondary students. Daily News education writer Leila Summers reports that the district plans to open an “virtual academy” in January, allowing high school students to go online for core subjects and any number of electives not available in the traditional setting.

It’s a smart, cost-effective move that promises to open up a wide range of new educational possibilities for Kelso secondary students. Online academies are transforming secondary education here and around the nation. The Longview School District opened its virtual academy earlier. More recently, Longview school officials launched an On Track Academy — an online, alternative learning program aimed at reducing dropout rates and improving on-time graduations.

Kelso school officials expect online education to improve their graduation rates. They’re also expecting the virtual academy to boost enrollment. Kelso Superintendent Glenys Hill told Summers that an estimated 65 students have left Kelso schools to enroll in online high school programs. Hill noted that increasing enrollment by just 10 students would easily offset the cost of the half-time teacher who has been hired to facilitate the online classes.

Online education may not solve all that ails public schools and concerns parents and educators. But it’s increasingly recognized as tremendous new tool that can serve more students in more ways than traditional settings.

According to Jody Lawrence-Turner of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, more than 14,000 Washington secondary students were enrolled in one or more online courses during the 2008-09 school year. More than 3,800 of those students were doing all of their course work online. The Washington Legislature, in an effort to speed the development and monitor the quality of online offerings, created an Office of Online Learning within the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction this past session.

The Kelso Virtual Academy holds opportunity for both students and parents, who can take a more active role in their children’s education. Summers reports that parents will be able to go online to keep track of their children’s progress and communicate with teachers. Kelso School Board President Patty Wood told Summers that the virtual academy will give students access to many courses otherwise unavailable. This ability to pursue a particular field of interest — marine biology, Asian studies, etc. — could prove life changing for some students. The same can be said for those students may have dropped out, but for the opportunity to earn credits online.

It’s encouraging to see Kelso and other area school districts moving to take advantage of what this technology has to offer.